"CARNATION, LILY, LILY, ROSE"  a masterpiece by JOHN SINGER SARGENT

The concept of Japanese gardening began in ancient times.  The use of specially-crafted garden lanterns is part of capturing the essence of a Japanese garden.  The garden lantern, by itself, looks like a sculptured showpiece that acts as one of the focal points of the literal garden.  In this masterpiece, Sargent uses the lanterns as a visual metaphor and engages the viewer using them as emphasis.  The true mystique of the Japanese garden lanterns comes to play when they are lit, just as night steals the daylight. Sargent has just as stealthily recreated the look of dusk with his masterful strokes. We can appreciate the glowing light that radiates out of these enchanting lanterns is soft and brings about a sense of serenity, shedding just enough light for the visitor to make his way through the garden while appreciating its beauty.

For older students, the groundwork for using art vocabulary and the elements of art and principles of design while critiquing this piece may be addressed:

1. Where do you think the focal point is in this piece? (Most likely the head of the girl on the left.)
2. Where does your eye travel to next? (The lanterns that are lit to her left.) And after that? (Up to the large lily and unlit lantern above her head.) Then where? (To the lantern she is lighting.) After that, we notice the other girl, her lit face, her lantern and back to the girl on the left, repeating the process.
3. Does this piece feel "balanced," visually? (Yes. The girl on the right and all the light-colored flowers are balanced by the visual weight of the main girl on the left and the darker tones of the grass and lanterns to her left.)
4. If you squint your eyes, where is the darkest dark? (Between the two girls, at their heads, and between their body positions.) Where are the lightest lights? (The dresses and the lilies.) The students will notice the value patterns easier if they squint their eyes!
5. Would you do anything differently if you were this artist? (Answers will vary.  To get the students thinking and prompt them to voice their ideas, you may ask them: Could the flowers have been made less busy?  Would you have made the girls and the lanterns the main event and softened the look of the flowers so they were not so apparent?  Why or Why not?)

Even the youngest students can appreciate the value of this painting, especially if they are exposed to thought-provoking dialog!

There is a phenominal book about this painting you may wish to share with your students/children.  The book is written by Hugh Brewster, and is entitled "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose," the same name as the masterpiece by John Singer Sargent.  It is a wonderful historical fiction story behind the painting and suitable for Grades 3/4 on up, which also helps the students to understand the mind of the painter, the other painters and people who affected his work, the situations surrounding the painting, the interaction between the models, and the time period this was painted in. I read this out loud to my 7-12-grade classes while they were painting one day and they received it with joy! We then looked at numerous other John Singer Sargent paintings and did some compare and contrast studies.

For more information on this book visit: http://www.hughbrewster.com/books/carnation-lily-lily-rose-the-story-of-a-painting/

Hope you have enjoyed this visual communication on this incredible masterpiece!  

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From a Biblical Worldview:

John 15: 1  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener." The garden signifies growth and life.  Life connected to the vine, tended by God the Father, will bear much fruit and bring light to life!

Matthew 5:14-16  "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  

Let your life shine like these beautiful Japanese lanterns!

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for life-giving light.  As we follow your light, lead us gracefully down the path.  May our steps be sure though we know not exactly where we are going.  To you we surrender our plans, our paths, our lives so you may lead us in the way of righteousness as we choose to follow Your light.  Though we may stumble, you are there to pick us up.  Help us to focus not on the thorns but on the beauty of the "garden" that surrounds us and to shine our light for all to see.  To You be the glory!  In Your Name we pray; Amen. 

I love animals.  Drawing and painting animals has been a passion of mine since I can remember.  My teenage children at home give me such a hard time because everytime I see an animal when I am out and about, I whip out my camera on my phone and snap a picture!  This morning -- yes, this very morning -- on my way to teach art at Circle Christian School, I saw some graceful deer!  I stopped dead in the road (after making sure no one was behind me of course) and snapped a photo. 

Look at this precious creation!  I thanked God for showing me His glory and headed on down the highway, my children poking me with comments about causing accidents and being some sort of a nature nut.  "I highly resemble that remark!" I retorted back.  Some day they will see the value and the amazing beauty in what their 'crazy' mom sees.  Actually, come to think of it, they do, through the eyes of my paintings!

When I first paint an animal in oils, I begin with a grisaille underpainting.  Grisaille is a term for a painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey.  With the fox above however, I started with a grisaille underpainting in shades of burnt sienna mixed with ultramarine blue.  I wiped out the lighter areas, and even added a little titanium white to the areas I wished to be a little lighter.  I let my underpainting dry for about a week and began my other layers of color.  I deepened my darkest darks with violet and laid in the fur by working dark to light.  There are many hours of work in these animal painting over many days.  Often people look and think I just whip things out in no time, and sometimes I do!  But for the richest furs on the animals, I like to take my time and work layer by layer.  

My 7-12th grade students are working on animal portrait right now in class.  Instead of oils, they are working in colored pencils.  With colored pencils, I usually work light to dark, which is the opposite of what I do when I work in oils.  For the healthy-looking robin (above) called "The Joy of Spring," I used Derwent colored pencils.

I began by doing a grisaille drawing using shades of yellow ochre colored pencil.  Next, I added burnt sienna, raw sienna, burnt umber, raw umber and violet. 

When the 7-12th graders finish their drawings, I will post some for you.  I think you will be amazed.  I love sharing my passion with them and learn many things from them as well!  They sure do keep me on my toes and every visual challenge they have, I have as their instructor, so we dive in and try new things and learn together.  I am so grateful for what I do!

I hope you see some amazing critters in your world today.  If you do, please comment and/or post some pictures for me so I can see them.  Thanks and we'll see you soon! 

Laura

Prayer:  Father, thank you for all the amazing animals you created and the opportunities to share them with others on canvas.  I am so grateful for the vision and desire you have given me and so many others, like my students, who wish to do so.  I pray these visions and paintings will touch hearts and help others see the beauty of your creation and help them rest in your amazing peace. And as we walk or drive may we not be in such a hurry that we miss the simplicity of your grace in the common and the unusual people, insects, animals, plants, rainbows, clouds... the list goes on.  Be exalted in all the earth!  Amen.

Psalm 46:10  "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”